Detonating fuse



July 31, 1923' R. L. LOWMAN DETONATING FUSE Filed June 18, 1921 mm m W L L U 0 Du charge or ignitor, such safety device beingheldin safety position. until after the fuse, 20

25 hereinafter Patented July 31, 1923.

uurrso TES ATEN'E' OFECE.

ROY- L. LOWMAN,

OF BUCKHA'NNON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY C. DODGE.

DETONATING FUSE.

Application filed June 18, 1921.

To. all whom it may concern:

j 7 Be it known that I, R0Y LEIGHTON Low- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buckhannon, in the county of Upshur and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detonating Fuses of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to detonating fuses, and has for an object to provide a fuse producing a lag,- or an interval of time, between concussion and detonation.

A further object of the invention isto provide a .detonating fuse having a safety interrupting member interposed between the initial detonating charge, ignited by a percussion cap, and the ultimate detonating with its projectile, has been fired from the With these and other objects in view, the

invention comprises certain novel-elements,

units, parts and combinations as will be more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, whichare made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a longitudinally diametrical sectional view through the fuse.

Figure 21is a transverse sectional view taken online. 22 of Figure 1.

Figure ,3 is an inclined transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure-l is a perspective view, of the safe ty interrupter.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 1

The improved fuse, which forms the subject-matter ofthis application, is adapted to be ,associated'with a projectile ofany usual and ordinary type, adapted, after the projectile is fired from the gun, to automatically. set the partsto be ignited, and to in turn ignite the charge of the projectile, upon the impact of the projectile with an object, provide. for a delay or lag between instant of concussion and the instant of detonation, to permit the projectile to penetrate into the impinged object. For the purpose of associating-with the projectile, the

explained.

Serial No. 478,739.

fuse comprises a base having screw threads 11 for engaging a screw threaded opening inthe projectile with a head 12 to engage against the surface of the projectile. Openings 13 are provided for engagement with spanner for placing the fuse.

To the base 10 the shell 14 is secured, in any approved manner, as by screw threaded engagement at 15. Intermediate the ends of the shell 1& a threaded constriction 16 provides seating for a threaded member 17 which in turn carries the anvil 18 upon which is normally positioned the percussion cap 19.

Within the shell ll is also mounted to slide, the hammer 20 held normally at its inoperative limit by the spring 21. The hammer 20' carries the firing point 22 pivoted at 23 with a weight 24 subject to centrifugal force as will be-hereinafter more fully The firing apparatus, comprising the hammer, the firing pin and its associated parts, is not novel in the present disclosure and separately ,and individually form no part of the invention.-

The member 17 is provided with an initial detonating charge 25 and with a sinuous passage between such charge and the percussion cap 19. The exact formation of the sinuous passage is immaterial but that shown at Figure 2 has been found to be satisfactory, comprising a terminus 26 com- .municating with the charge 25 and a terminus 27 opening through the partition 28 and communicating with a substantially similar sinuous passage, having a terminus 29 communicating with the charge 30 immediately in engagement with the percussion cap 19. The sinuous communicating passage between the charge 30 and the charge 25 may be left vacant or may be filled with ignitable material. If ignitable material is used it is preferably the same as the charge 30, which, for convenience will be called black powder. If left vacant the fire from the charge 30 must pass through this sinuous passage and ignite the charge 25. The same would follow if the sinuous passage is filled with ignitable material. In any event by reason .of the length and sinuosity of the passage, traversing such passage will be slightly delayed whereby there will be a perceptible interval of time between the ignition of the charge 30 and the charge 25.

hor-ever required closures are employed, the equivalent of a wad as for instance at 31.

The charge 25 communicates with a passage 32 which, except for the interrupting features hereinafter described, communicates directly with the final detonating charge or booster-33. The latter is confined by the screw plug 3 which is blown out by the explosion of the detonating charge' 33 and the charge of the projectile into which the fuse is inserted is thereupon and thereby ignited. The passage'32 be filled with detonating material similar to that of the booster 33, such as tetryl. I

The interrupter for the passage 32 comprises a plug 35 having passages 36 positioned to at times establish communication between the normally separated sections of the passage 32, to be normally held by the spring 3'? so that the plug completely closes the passage 32 isolates the charge 33 from the charge 25 so that in case of the accidental ignition of the charge 25 the passage 32 being closed expansion is provided in the chamber 38 surrounding the charge 25 and the chamber 39 containing the spring 21, and is not communicated to the charge 33.

The plug 35 is provided with an enlarged and correspondingly weighted head 40 reduced to form a shoulder 41. So long as the detent e2 maintains its normal position the plug 35 can not be removed from its closing position across the passage 32. l

The plug 35 being carried normally advance by the projectile, the inertia of the detent 4:2 causes the said detent to slide against the tension of its spring 43 whereby the shoulder l l'is released permitting centrifugal force to act upon the'head t0 for the purpose of unclosing the passage 32. 'VVhen acceleration of the projectile has ceased, so that the inertia no longer acts upon the detent 12 the spring again forces the detent forward under head40 and holds plug 35 in firing position. By this time, however, the centrifugal force has moved the plug 35 to bring the passages 36 into register with the'passage 32 and the plug 35 .is locked in open position by the detent 4.2.

At the same time centrifugal force act ingupon the weight 24 has swung the firing member upon its pivot 35 so that the firing pin 32 is in alignment with the percussion cap 19. The inertia of the hammer 20as well as the'tension of the spring 21 holds the firing pin out of engagement with the cap. with an object the momentum of the hammer 20 overcomes the tension of the spring 21 and, inertia no longer acting, the firing pin 32 is brought into firing concussion with the cap. v

It will be seen therefore that a. projectile may be provided with this fuse, and may At the impact of the projectile "than that of being fired from a'gun, is

impossible. As centrifugal force begins to act before emergence of the projectile from the'gun and asacceleration continues only until shortly after emergence, it is obvious that almost instantaneously after being fired from the'gu n the parts are in position for firing immediately upon impact but that until all of such contingents are combined ignition is impossible and a projectile, prorided with such fuse, is safe for handling 1 transportation. This removes the ne of transportin and handling projectiles and fuse separately, to be combined only at the time of loading.

Having thus fully described my said in- 'ven'tion what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z 7 1. A detonatmg fuse comprislng a detohating charge and. an igniting charge, an

igniting element, asim ous passage between the igniting element and the igniting charge, means closing communication be tween the igniting charge and detonating charge adapted to be 'withdrawn by the force generated bythe' trajecting of the fuse and single detent for locking said means in either the closed or withdrawn position, substantially as set forth. 7

2 A detonating fuse comprising a'sh'ell having a detonating charge and an igniting charge, a separating member interposed bethe charges and provided with a passage, an interrupter extending across and closing the passage and. provided with a weighted portion eccentric to the axis, a

detentlocking the interrupter in two positions thereofand subject to movement relati ve to the fuse through its inherent inertia, and means to fire the igniting charge at impact.

3. A detonating fuse comprising a onating charge and anvigniting charge, a

det

passage therebetween, an interrupter operating across the passage and provided with a bore, a spring within the bore, said interrupter having at one end a transverse paswhich at times is aligned with the first said passage to provide unrestricted communication between the two said charges, said interrupter also having an enlarged against the under side of said enlarged portion and at other times bearing against the upper side of said enlarged portion, substantially as set forth.

'weighted portion, a detent at times bearing detonating charge and an igniting charge, a

separating member between the charges provided with an oblique communicating passage and a cylindrical recess intersecting the same and perpendicular thereto, a cylindrical plug in the latter passage having an enlarged base with an annular flange and subject to the action of centrifugal force, and a detent adapted to engage either above or below said base, substantially as set forth.

5. A fuse comprising a shell having a detonating charge and an igniting charge, a separating member between the charges provided with an oblique communicating passage and a cylindrical recess intersecting the same perpendicular thereto, a cylindrical plug in the latter passage and having a plurality of angularly related transverse passages at its inner end and adapted to be moved by centrifugal force to open the first named passage, and means for locking the plug in either advanced or retracted position, substantially as set forth.

6. A fuse comprising a shell having a; detonating charge and an igniting charge, a separating member between the charges provided with an oblique communicating passage, a transverse recess intersecting the same and perpendicular thereto, a plug normally closing the passage and adapted to be withdrawn by centrifugal force, substantially as set forth.

7. In a fuse for projectiles the combination of a shell, having a forward chamber for a bursting charge, a separator in rear thereof having a longitudinal channel, a plug normally closing the passage and automatically removed therefrom after discharge of the projectile, a member spaced from said chamber by the separator said member ha ing chambers at the front and the rear for a de'tonating charge, and a tortuous passage connecting them, said rear chamber also having means to support a percussion cap in communication with one chamber, and a slidable and swingable firing point adapted to be positioned by centrifugal force and to strike the cap on impact of the projectile, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at WVashington, District of Columbia, this 17th day of June, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-one.

ROY L. LOVVMAN. [1,. s.] Witness:

E. W. BRADFORD. 

